Let Your Heart Be Light
by kimbuhlay
Summary: AU/AH: Single mom Elena Gilbert can't afford to give her three-year-old daughter a proper Christmas; luckily for her, her best friend Damon has a plan to make sure both of his girls have the best day of their lives. Written for the third annual A2A DE Holiday Exchange, and prompted by chellethebelle.
1. Of Cookies and Conspiracies

**A/N: It's been a while! Since the last time you all (figuratively) saw me, I've been to seven different countries across two continents, and also enrolled in university for 2014, which is a whole lot less exciting. I've done a bit of writing in my absence and very soon you'll be seeing the start of a short, slightly different AU story I started while in a dingy hotel room in Paris. Hit author alert if you want to be kept in the loop.**

**I decided to write this story for the annual A2A exchange on livejournal, and it morphed from a fluffy oneshot to a fluffy 6k-words-and-still-growing monster. I was eager to post today, as it is now after 4am on Christmas morning in Aussie time, so I'm posting the first of three parts now, and the rest should be up within the next couple of days. You should check out ****notenoughpotter****'s A2A entry, while you're at it - it's written for my prompt!**

**Anyway, here is the original prompt, by ****chellethebelle**** (let's face it, if you're not reading her stuff, you should get your butt down to her page, pronto):**

_AU/AH: Elena and her baby are home alone on Christmas Eve and she's feeling down about not being able to afford much this year (decorations, presents, etc.) She wakes up on Christmas morning to find her house exploded in Christmas cheer thanks to her best friend/secret love of her life, Damon. Damon has been there for Elena through everything, her divorce, her pregnancy, her recent money issues and he's stood by her, silent about his love for her. But no more, Damon's ready to put himself on the line and it starts with giving Elena and her baby the best Christmas ever._

_Baby is optional, but I do love Damon and babies... even if they aren't his. :D_

_Bonus points for a sweet gift from Elena to Damon, Damon and baby fluff and of course, SEXY TIMES._

**Apparently the fandom could use some fluff at the moment, so here you go (and apologies to your dentists from all the cavities this stuff will give you). Wishing every single one of you and your families a safe and happy hoilday season.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or its characters; all rights to their respective owners.**

* * *

Exhausted, cold, and starving, Elena Gilbert carefully let herself into her small townhouse, her eyes lighting up when she registered the scent of heavy-duty baking in her kitchen.

"Anybody home?"

"Mommy!" The elated scream preceded a tiny blonde whirlwind, wearing a pink and white sweater, jeans, and apparently, half a pound of flour. Without missing a beat, Elena swept her daughter up into her arms, kissing her head as they spun around.

"Hey, baby girl. How was your day?" Elena adjusted the girl's weight on her hip, playfully tapping the end of her nose.

"We baked cookies and ginger-man houses!" her daughter exclaimed.

"Ginger_bread_ houses," Elena corrected gently, but she was distracted by the second most important person in her life breezing out of the kitchen, covered in an equal amount of flour.

"No, Sienna's right," he smirked, pressing a quick kiss of greeting to Elena's cheek. "The gingerbread houses didn't _quite_ turn out like we planned."

"Big bad Damon blew the house down," Sienna sang, in reference to her favorite fable.

"I had nothing to do with it," Damon protested. "Anyway, we ended up cutting gingerbread men from the broken parts, and we've, sort of, stood them up and iced the heads together, to make houses, you know?" He gestured wildly with his hands as both Elena and Sienna dissolved into giggles.

"You're silly," Elena told him, sticking her tongue out when he scowled at her.

It was always like this with them: easy, fun, comfortable. Damon had been her best friend since childhood, and there wasn't a single moment of her life that he hadn't been by her side. He'd stood by her side after the death of her parents, given her away at her wedding to her high school sweetheart, brought her pistachio ice cream in the middle of the night during her pregnancy, and held her while she cried when her husband left her to raise a baby on her own. He was Sienna's godfather, but Elena often found herself entertaining delusions of them becoming a real family while she slept.

Sienna was starting to understand the concept of families, from all the books that were read to her. She'd asked Elena just last week what a father was, and Elena had fought to find the right words to explain it.

_"A daddy and a mommy work together to look after their children. They protect you and love you and care for you."_

_Sienna paused briefly, her face scrunched up with thought. "So, Damon's my daddy?"_

_"No, sweetheart," Elena sighed, blinking away tears. "Some people don't have daddies, just like some people might not have mommies, or they might have more than one daddy or mommy."_

_"Oh. Why don't I have a daddy?"_

Elena had never been more thankful for a phone call from her employer that day, as it had interrupted the impossible conversation. How was she supposed to tell her three-year-old that her father had moved to Seattle for a promotion while Elena was pregnant, and divorced her a year later when the long-distance relationship didn't work out? Matt had seen Sienna for a total of eight weeks in the six months since she'd been born, and didn't seem fazed when Elena told him flat-out that he would not be permitted to see her if he turned his back on their family. To all intents and purposes, Damon _was_ Sienna's father, even if his name wasn't on the birth certificate.

"Do you want to take a shower or something? You look beat," Damon remarked sympathetically, holding his arms out. Elena nodded gratefully and handed Sienna over, smiling to herself as Damon started explaining the finer points of cookie decorating while Sienna listened with a serious expression on her face.

Feeling slightly refreshed after her shower, Elena walked back into the kitchen to see Damon and Sienna whispering together, the undecorated cookies lying forgotten on the counter.

"What are you two plotting?" Elena asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," they said together, both sporting identical poker faces. Elena shook her head ruefully, knowing that if they were up to something, neither of them would spill.

"Thick as thieves, you two are." She picked up a piping bag and began icing a couple of cookies, watching out of the corner of her eye as Damon winked at Sienna and passed her something under the table. "I saw that!"

They both turned to face her, chewing guiltily.

"It was broken, mommy," Sienna claimed, her pale blue eyes wide.

Elena's accusatory glare fell on Damon. "Are you bribing my daughter again?"

"She's blackmailing me!" he complained, ruffling the blonde girl's hair playfully.

"Oh, yeah? With what?"

"Can't tell you that," Damon smirked, and Elena rolled her eyes. She whipped the second cookie Sienna was holding out of her hand and popped it into her mouth.

Secretly, she was happy that Damon was so good with her daughter. He'd been a lifesaver to her on countless occasions, always ready to drop whatever he was doing in a heartbeat whenever they needed him. After her divorce, Elena had had to find a job, and Damon had started working from home without hesitation so he could provide free daycare. Any time she was short on cash to buy new clothes for her rapidly-growing baby, he'd whisk them out for a surprise shopping spree and insist on paying. When Sienna was sick, Damon would take her to the doctor, buy the necessary medication, and spend the rest of the day playing with her to distract her from her pain or nausea. Elena knew she never had to worry when Damon was around; she trusted him implicitly.

As Sienna got older, Elena began to see more and more of her best friend in her daughter – his mannerisms, his mischievousness, even his trademark smirk, unspeakably adorable on her tiny, cute face. It was about a year ago, when Elena came home late one night and found Damon and Sienna asleep on the couch together, that she realized she was in love with him, and probably had been for a very long time.

"Earth to Elena," Damon called, waving his hand in her face as she jolted back to reality. "Where'd you go just now?"

_To the first moment I knew I loved you. _"Sorry, I had a long day. Christmas rush and all."

Damon nodded sympathetically. "I wish I could stay and give you a break, but I've got to get home and help Stefan and Katherine with the preparations for tomorrow. You're still coming, right?"

Elena gave him a withering look. "Of course we're coming. I've been to Christmas lunch at the Salvatore house every year since I was eight years old."

"Is Aunty Kat having the baby tomorrow? That would ruin Christmas," Sienna pouted, and Elena and Damon traded amused glances.

"No, sweetheart, Aunty Kat isn't supposed to have her baby until February," Damon explained gently, "but it wouldn't ruin Christmas; we celebrate Christmas _because_ of a baby, a special one, so it's like a birthday party for him, except _you_ get presents."

Sienna's eyes lit up. "From Santa?"

"Yes, baby, from Santa," Elena smiled. "Now, go get a piece of paper and your crayons. Mommy is going to help you make a special drawing."

Damon helped Sienna down from the chair and she scuttled off to the bedroom to retrieve her art supplies. Sienna loved to draw and paint more than anything else, undoubtedly a trait she'd picked up from Damon.

"If you need anything, just call me," Damon assured her as they walked together to the front door. He pulled on his coat and pecked her on the cheek once more; Elena felt her skin burn where his lips touched her.

"You make it sound like you're going away for a month," Elena laughed. "You're _literally_ going next door."

"I know, I know," Damon replied. "But I still miss my girls when I go."

Elena's heart fluttered slightly at his words, but she didn't have a chance to respond as he clattered down the front steps, walking briskly to combat the frigid December air. She touched her fingers lightly to her cheek where he'd kissed it, immersed deep in thought.

"Mommy?"

Elena whirled around, her hand falling from her face. "Sorry, baby girl. Now, let's decorate our tree!"

As her minimal wages didn't allow her to purchase a Christmas tree, Elena had opted instead to draw one with her daughter, to stick on the wall above Sienna's Christmas stocking. Elena roughly sketched the outline of the tree and then allowed Sienna to color and 'decorate' it as she liked. The little girl proudly taped it up on the brick wall, pleased with the end result, but Elena couldn't help but wish that her daughter could know what a real Christmas tree looked like, smelled like, and how it felt to decorate it oneself.

When they were done, and the hand-sewn Christmas stocking that Sheila Bennett had made for Elena when she was much younger was hung on the wall, Elena yawned and stretched her arms above her head.

"Time for bed, Sienna?"

Sienna whirls around, looking scandalized. "No! Mommy, we have to look at the Christmas lights!"

"We _have_ to?" Elena repeated skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"You _promised_!"

Elena sighed. She _had_ promised, four days ago, but that night it had snowed too heavily and then she'd been working late every night since.

"Okay, baby. Get ready for bed first."

Sienna squealed with happiness, throwing her arms around her mother. "You're the best mommy ever!" she called as she scampered to the bathroom.

Elena rubbed her forehead, her eyes scrunched shut in an attempt to relieve her persistent pounding headache. "I'm sorry, Sienna," she said, under her breath. "I wish I could be _better_."

After giving her daughter a bath and getting her all rugged up for bed, Elena pulled their coats and scarves from the closet.

"Wait by the door, darling. Mommy has to check something," Elena instructed, ducking briefly into the living room to tuck Sienna's presents in her stocking so they could go straight to bed as soon as they arrived home. It wasn't much: some clothes and picture books from the second-hand store, a small doll in a princess costume, and some candy, but Sienna would appreciate it all the same.

They stumbled out into the street, hand in hand. Sienna pointed and gasped with all the genuine excitement that came so easily to children her age, and Elena couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. It reminded her of when she was a kid, walking around with her parents and Jeremy, and the familiarity in her heart was equal parts aching and warm. Though Sienna had Matt's fair hair and pale eyes, everything in her smile was pure Elena, and it made her proud.

They stopped for a while at a particularly extravagant house, where slow-moving reindeer figures bowed their heads to the ground and up again, and a Santa scaled the ladder of fairy lights and disappeared by the chimney. Another group of people stopped by, a family; the three young boys posed with their mother as their father snapped a photo, and Elena's heart ached with unwelcome jealousy.

Sienna stretched her fingers through a gap in the fence towards the nearest reindeer, like she wanted to pet it.

"Smile!" Elena called to her daughter, taking a quick picture on her cheap phone. It would have to do.

"Mommy, can we keep going? _Please_?" Sienna begged, with wide eyes and pouted lips in an expression she'd undoubtedly learned from Damon. Elena couldn't resist it, glancing at her watch to see it was already well after eight.

"Fine, just a little more. Then we have to go home before Santa comes, don't we?"

Sienna grinned and nodded, grabbing Elena's hand and dragging her down the street impatiently.

They walked for half an hour longer, before Elena's eyelids began to droop and Sienna finally relented and allowed her mother to lead the way home. Though Elena was exhausted, she still knew her daughter better than anybody else, and suspected something was on the little girl's mind. Too tired to worry about it now, Elena opted to fall straight into bed when they arrived home, deciding to ask Sienna in the morning.

The last thing Elena registered before she succumbed to sleep was the sound of her daughter's quiet giggle.


	2. Of Mysteries and Mistletoe

**A/N: Merry Christmas! I was ecstatic to wake up on Christmas morning and see the positive reactions from all of you guys, and the notifications continued throughout the day, so thank you to every single one of you! I'm uploading now because I'm off on a whirlwind trip to Sydney with a friend for the next 48 hours and won't be able to update until after that... I hope you'll forgive me.**

**Here's part two. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or its characters; all rights to their respective owners.**

* * *

"Mommy!"

She was only a little girl, but it sure didn't feel like it when Elena awoke to the impact of her overexcited daughter jumping on her chest.

"Oof," Elena groaned, pulling her comforter over her face and snuggling further into bed.

"Mommy," Sienna scolded disapprovingly, pulling the sheets back again. "Santa came! Come see!"

"Okay, okay." Rubbing the sleep from her eyes and pulling an old sweater of Damon's over the shirt she'd fallen asleep in, Elena wandered into the living room, wondering how hard it would be to convince Sienna to wait until Mommy had a cup of joe in her before present-opening-time.

The smell hit her first – the sharp scent of pine, the comforting aroma of hot coffee and syrupy pancakes. Then the sudden assault on her vision: shiny baubles in purple and silver, vibrant, multi-colored lights all around the room, reflecting in the decorations and the dozens of perfectly wrapped packages around the base of the six foot tree she _definitely_ hadn't put there.

"I'm… _what_?" Elena whispered in wonderment.

Sienna wordlessly pulled Elena to the front door, her eyes alive with a secret. They wandered onto the front lawn – the crisp, overnight snowfall crunching beneath their hastily donned sneakers – and they stared at the fairy lights that adorned their small house, bright against the haze of the early hour. A beautiful Christmas wreath completed the look, set carefully on the door and tied with a wide red bow.

"Did Santa make our breakfast, too?" Elena asked dazedly, and Sienna giggled.

"No, Mommy! Don't be silly."

They ate quickly, and Elena was still too stunned to ask why Sienna didn't look quite as surprised by the mysterious appearance of decorations she couldn't afford. When Sienna knelt in front of the tree, frowning in concentration at the labels on the presents, Elena stood back, subtly pinching herself to make sure this wasn't all some elaborate dream.

"E…le…na. That's you, Mommy! Some of these are for you!"

Elena stared at them in confusion. "They are?"

"I thought Santa didn't bring grown-ups presents. You must be special," Sienna said, nodding sagely to herself.

"I guess so," Elena agreed quietly.

After biting her lip and considering her options for a moment, Sienna carefully selected the largest present first. Elena helped her open it, and the little girl gasped and squealed over the kitchen playset she'd been drooling over the last time they'd shopped at Toys 'R' Us, with Damon. Elena's eyes widened slightly, her suspicions beginning to form.

As Sienna opened present after present, revealing new clothes, board games, dolls, candy, stuffed animals, and a large box that Sienna peered into, smirked at, and quickly closed and pushed away, it became clear to Elena just who had been behind this whole surprise. She, too, had received the perfect presents: new shoes, a video camera, and a voucher for a day spa. Sienna grabbed the last parcel, poorly-wrapped and covered in stickers with Sienna's name painstakingly written on the label.

"Is this from you, baby?" Elena asked, her eyes filling with tears that she'd been holding back since she'd first left her bedroom. Sienna nodded, gesturing for her to open it.

A small book fell into her lap, decorated with crayon, ink stamps, and what looked like pictures cut from magazines. When Elena turned it over she saw, written on the front in Sienna's childish scrawl, the words 'Travel Journal'. The letters were mixed upper and lower case, and the 'e' was backwards, but Elena could tell her daughter was proud of what she'd made – with Damon's help, of course.

"What's this?" Elena asked, mystified, but Sienna shook her head, her eyes twinkling, looking ready to burst.

"Open that one, Mommy," Sienna insisted, pointing to the plain white envelope set high in the branches of the tree. Elena lifted it down, staring at the words in confusion.

"Open last?"

"Just open it!"

Inside the envelope was a single piece of paper, folded once. With shaky fingers, Elena unfurled it, knowing Damon's handwriting instantly.

_Turn around_.

Slowly, feeling all the blood drain from her face, she spun to face the love of her life, looking every bit as proud of himself as he deserved to be.

"You did this."

He opened his mouth to answer her, but Sienna jumped in first. "I helped, Mommy! I helped! Did I do good, Damon?"

"You were _perfect_, princess," he told her, picking her up when she ran to him and giving her a bear hug while she shrieked with delight.

"How long have you been planning this?" Elena demanded.

"A while," Damon admitted. "I brought Sienna in on it last week. She chose the decorations, played the decoy, and she even helped me set it up last night, while you were fast asleep."

Elena looked between the two of them, shaking her head in awe. She couldn't believe the two of them had been behind something so deviously sweet – but then again, she could.

"I knew you were up to something, but I had no idea it was anything like this."

Damon smirked before pulling out another envelope from his pocket and handing it to her. "My gift to you," he said, by way of explanation.

Elena narrowed her eyes at him playfully, but her jaw dropped as she realized she was holding three plane tickets to Orlando, dated for the next month.

"Damon?"

"We're going to Disney World. Don't even _think_ about it," he added, seeing her expression. "I've already okayed it with the boss." Sienna giggled as Damon pointed at her, grabbing at his finger. "That's the reason for the travel journal, see? And it'll be the first of many trips that we take together, the three of us. I hope," he added, as an afterthought.

"Damon, I… we… I have to… _Damon_," Elena stammered, unable to find words.

"How about we leave you here to, uh, calm down a little? I'll take Sienna next door, and Katherine can get her dressed and ready. What do you want to wear, princess?" Damon asked, setting the little girl down, and she grabbed her new lilac dress and held it high like a prize. "Good choice. Get your coat."

"Damon," Elena tried again.

"Shh," he told her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking deep into her eyes, blue searching brown. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay? I'll let myself in."

Elena nodded wordlessly and watched as he lifted Sienna onto his shoulders and marched down the footpath, turning and giving her a wink before she closed the door behind them. She used her spare few minutes to run a comb through her hair, slip on her favorite dress and her new shoes from 'Santa', and retrieve her present for Damon from her closet.

As she walked back into the living room, she saw him standing with his back to her, looking out the window. He spun around at the sound of her footsteps, his expression now guarded and completely unreadable.

"You look tired," Elena observed, and Damon grimaced.

"I was awake at four. Had to help Santa with the presents, you know."

Elena smiled and then bit her lip, holding out the large box hesitantly. "I… got you something. It seems a little pathetic now, after all this…"

"Don't say that," Damon scolded, smiling gratefully as he accepted it, though he still looked wary. "It's perfect."

"You haven't opened it yet," Elena laughed.

Damon gave her one, long, penetrating look before he lifted the lid and looked through the crepe paper inside. "Are these…"

"Yep," she smiled proudly, seeing the shock on his face. "I found them in your attic a month or so ago, and had them restored and framed."

Damon's face lit up as he studied each picture individually – a portrait of his mother, from when she was younger; another picture of her, this time with a blue-eyed infant in her arms; the last, with her arms around a young Damon and Stefan, the three of them all laughing together.

"Thank you," Damon breathed, brushing his fingers over his mother's image. Elena hadn't known him when he'd lost her, but she knew that he'd loved her more than anything and that her death had been devastating for him.

"You're welcome."

They watched each other in silence, neither wanting to be the first to break the tension, the silent truce that had formed between them. It was unfamiliar to them, the awkwardness, the uncertainty. There had been a line and it had been breached and they were moments away from the fallout.

"Why?" Elena whispered, unable to stand it any longer. "Why did you do all this?"

Damon slowly set the box of pictures on the couch, stepping forward to take her hands. "Because I love you," he said simply, as if stating that the sky was blue and water was wet. "And I love your daughter, and I wanted to give both of my girls a Christmas they would never forget."

He didn't miss Elena's sharp intake of breath, nor did he miss the tears that formed in her eyes for the second time that morning. "You succeeded," she murmured, and he leaned in towards her, caressing her face gently as her eyelashes fluttered shut.

He jumped slightly as she abruptly stepped backward before running to the doorway, and he blinked in confusion.

"Are you okay?"

Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she turned back to him, a sprig of mistletoe in her hand. "I'm just fine, thank you."

He grinned at her as she stepped into his embrace, the plant held over their heads as their lips met for the first time.

It was _everything_.

Her mouth quickly opened to his as he deepened the kiss, burying his hand in her hair and using the other to pull her closer to him. After a few seconds, Elena cast aside the mistletoe and wrapped her fingers in the lapels of his coat, holding him so he couldn't pull away, even if he wanted to. Their tongues danced together, and he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist, twining her arms around his neck.

She broke away from him then, kissing his neck repeatedly as he breathed in her scent, his thumbs stroking her thighs. "I love you," she whispered into his skin, between kisses. "I love you; I love you; _I love you_."

He groaned and allowed her feet to fall to the ground, his forehead pressed against hers while they tried to regain their breaths.

"What's wrong?" she panted, sliding her hands over his shoulders and down his chest. He grasped them quickly, halting her progress, a pained look on his face.

"As much as I'd like to stay here and further acquaint myself with you, we have a holiday to celebrate, and a very impatient three-year-old waiting to show you something."

Elena frowned and paused in her exploration of Damon's well-defined abs. "Show me what?"

"You'll see."

Elena scowled at him as he threw her coat to her and wrapped her scarf around her neck, using it to pull her in for another quick kiss. "I have a feeling I'm not going to like this particular surprise."

Damon said nothing, taking her hand and leading her to his front door, decorated with a similar wreath to the one on her own. He stopped her from turning the handle, taking a deep breath and looking extremely guilty.

"The other box, the one Sienna didn't show you? It's full of… supplies."

"Supplies?" Elena questioned, suspiciously.

Damon stole one last kiss from her, pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear as he prepared to open the door.

"I took Sienna to get something yesterday."

"Damon Salvatore, I swear to God-"

"Okay, okay! Just remember, you love me, okay?"

Elena glared, pursing her lips. "I love you. Now open the door."

As Damon pushed the door inward, they were greeted with the sound of claws on the floorboards and a squealing child before being bowled over and subjected to lots of face-licking.

"Elena, meet Max."


	3. Of Sleepovers and the Other S Word

**A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! Between essentially running into Nina Dobrev by chance at a bar in Sydney, having a houseguest, surprise roadtrips, and death/illness in the family, I didn't really have time to put the finishing touches on this until now, and I am so deeply sorry and I hope you can forgive me (particularly if it feels at all like I've rushed it to get it out to you!). You have all been so lovely in your reviews and you deserve better.**

**Special shoutout to Layla Reyne for the three amazing DEHX3 stories she's churned out while I flailed in the kiddie pool of 6k words in a month. Her most recent one, Jackson, is a fill for my prompt in the exchange, and it's amazing, so check it out!**

**Thanks again to chellethebelle for creating this prompt; I've had a lot of fun with it. I've been TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF (see: loosely writing a couple of random scenes from) a oneshot sequel to this, set at Christmas a few years down the track, and it would explore how Christmas has changed or remained the same for this family, and it probably (see: definitely) won't be as sugary and fluffy as this has been. I'm not making any promises, but if you like, you can let me know what you think. It'd be posted after my next story (but the details for that will be at the bottom because I've been talking for too long already).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or its characters; all rights to their respective owners.**

* * *

Max the English pointer turned out to be a very welcome addition to the family. At just two years of age, he was fully grown and housebroken, but quite boisterous and would need a lot of training. Damon and Sienna had adopted him from a shelter – allegedly, the little girl had taken one look at him and hadn't been able to walk away.

Elena understood where Damon was coming from with the idea. Sienna was an only child and often left alone when Damon was busy working in his home office while Elena was out. A dog would also teach her about responsibility, and help her become a little more outgoing and playful. She could see that Max had already made a difference in the wide smile her daughter wore as she chased the rambunctious animal through the house.

While Damon, Stefan, and Sienna laughed and played with Max, Katherine pulled Elena aside.

"Still nothing from you-know-who?" Katherine asked quietly, absently rubbing her hand over her enlarged stomach.

"Of course not," Elena scowled. "Haven't heard a word since the divorce was finalized. Why should he care about his own daughter on Christmas Day? He made his choice. I won't let him near her ever again."

"And if she wants to meet him?" she questioned.

"If the opportunity arises, it's up to her."

"What if she wants to _know_ him?"

Elena sucked her breath through her teeth with a quiet hiss. "If that's what she wants, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Katherine nodded seriously, observing Damon, who was unsuccessfully trying to convince Max to sit. "He looks happy. His elaborate Christmas plan worked, then?" she remarked.

Elena flushed scarlet, and Katherine smirked.

"Good for him. He's been in love with you at _least_ for as long as I've known him, long before Matt was a part of your life. It took him this long to build up the guts to do anything about it."

"You knew, this whole time?"

"Of course I did. He's my brother-in-law. The worst day of his life was the day he walked you down the aisle to marry somebody else, and it was glaringly obvious to everybody but _you_. Don't feel guilty," Katherine insisted, seeing Elena's expression. "He doesn't regret it for a second, because then Sienna was born, and he loves that little girl almost as much as he does you, if not more."

Elena nodded in agreement before beginning to help Katherine set the table for lunch.

The meal was just as successful as it was every year, except this time, Damon and Elena shared secretive glances, held hands under the table, and at one point, Elena found it incredibly difficult to concentrate on what Stefan was saying when Damon started running his hand along her thigh.

As Katherine served the Christmas pudding for dessert, Elena stood up to get some vanilla ice cream for Sienna, but Damon's hands grabbed her waist and gently pulled her back down to her seat.

"I've got it, babe," he said, and when she turned to look at him in confusion, he pecked her on the lips before heading to the kitchen. She sat there, stunned, while Sienna stifled her giggles and Stefan and Katherine both rolled their eyes and continued eating.

Once she'd told everybody, including Max, at least three times about all the amazing presents that Santa had brought her, Sienna finally tired herself out enough to need an afternoon nap and passed out on one of the sofas. Stefan sat down next to Katherine on the other, pulling her socked feet onto his lap and beginning to rub them, leaving the armchair free for Damon and Elena to curl up together and watch the flames dance in the fireplace. Elena closed her eyes in contentment as Damon played with her hair at the back of her neck, occasionally pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head.

"You guys are so in love, it makes me _sick_," Katherine complained, good-naturedly.

"Yeah, congratulations to both of you for finally getting your act together," Stefan remarked.

The two couples continued to talk for a couple of hours before Sienna woke up, yawning widely and laughing when Max got up from his bed in the corner and gave her face a lick.

"Guess it's time for us to go home then, hey, Si?" Elena asked the little girl.

"I was thinking, maybe she should stay the night here?" Katherine jumped in, an evil glint in her eye. "And you two could go home and… _rest_."

Elena hesitated, glancing at her daughter, who looked ecstatic at the idea of a sleepover.

"Mommy, please?" she begged, wide-eyed.

"If you're sure, baby. Mommy is going to get you all dressed and ready for bed first, okay? Then you can watch a movie or something with Aunty Katherine and Uncle Stefan."

Sienna nodded, and Elena took her upstairs to where all her things lay on the bed in the guest room from when Damon had dressed her in the morning. After a quick bath, Sienna was wrapped up snugly in her pink pyjamas, but she was biting her lip and looking very sorry for herself.

"Sienna, what's wrong?" Elena inquired, dreading the answer. The prospect of getting to spend an uninterrupted evening alone with Damon had taken hold in her mind, and she hoped that Sienna hadn't changed her mind and decided to go home, or worse, felt uncomfortable with the idea of Damon being a more permanent fixture in their lives.

"Mommy, I have to tell you something," Sienna admitted, hanging her head ashamedly.

"What is it, baby?"

"I heard you and Aunty talking about my daddy."

"Oh, honey…" Elena said, pulling her into a comforting hug.

"I don't want my daddy. I want Damon," Sienna declared passionately, tears shining in her eyes.

Elena sighed heavily. "Darling…"

"You said daddies protect and love and care. My daddy doesn't. He's a bad daddy and he makes you sad."

Elena said nothing, speechless at the acute wisdom coming from her three-year-old's mouth.

"I love Damon. He makes you happy. I wish _he_ was my daddy."

"He loves you, too, honey. And he's always going to be there for you, no matter what."

"Do _you_ love him, mommy?"

Elena smiled. "Yes, I do."

"Damon told me that if you love him, he will marry you one day."

Elena sucked in her breath sharply through her teeth. "He said that?"

"Mhm. And if he marries you, that will make him my daddy. Right?"

"If that's what you want," Elena whispered, blinking back tears and kissing the top of Sienna's head. "Now come on, let's go back downstairs to the others."

After Stefan had assured Elena five times that Sienna would be okay, and Elena had reminded him six times that she would just be next door if they needed _anything_, Damon finally managed to drag her out the door and to her own place.

It took less than ten seconds for them to get inside and for Damon to press Elena up against the wall and bring his lips to hers.

"As much as I love Sienna," he murmured, between kisses, "I've been waiting to have you on your own, like this, for longer than I'd like to admit."

"Hate… winter…" Elena replied, struggling with the buttons on his coat. "Too many layers."

"I concur."

She lost all coherent thought as he lifted her, his lips on her pulse point as she gripped his hair unconsciously. "I'm still mad at you about the dog," she told him breathlessly.

Damon pulled away, regarding her with a sad pout. "But he was just on his own there, Elena! What would you have me do?"

"Undress me," she instructed, her eyes gleaming with a spark he didn't know she had. "I'll have to take out my frustrations on you in other ways."

At her comment, Damon groaned low in his throat and tossed her onto the mattress, ripping Sienna's comforter from the small white toddler bed in the corner and sending her entire collection of stuffed animals flying while Elena watched on, bemused.

"Can't have them seeing this," he grumbled, by way of explanation, and Elena giggled as he pounced on her again, pulling her sweater over her head and then ridding her of the dress she'd thrown on that morning, ignoring her protests as she slapped at his hands and told him to be careful.

With the room now carpeted with discarded clothing, forsaken plush bears, and torn wrapping paper from all the presents she'd pitched in there earlier, Elena surveyed the chaos and sighed while Damon tried to distract her.

"Don't worry," he told her. "I'll take care of it all, later."

And, to be fair, she knew he would, and it was _really_ hard to focus on anything but the delicious way his teeth scraped against her shoulder while his hands explored lower.

She unclasped her bra and slid her underwear off as quickly as she could, and at some stage, he shed the last of his clothing too, leaving them wrapped in only the sheets and a light sheen of sweat, despite the brisk air seeping through into the house. Damon kissed Elena's stomach, his shadow of a stubble brushing against her skin, before he settled lower.

It didn't take long before she was flying, thrashing around and desperately grabbing for something to ground her. Damon scrambled up the bed to hold her while she finished, a little stunned to see tears forming in her eyes as her breaths steadied. She kissed him fiercely, and he tasted the salt mingling with the sweat and the faint metallic tang from the blood she'd drawn by biting her lip a fraction too hard.

With her lips and tongue and the way her legs wrapped around his hips and her fingers pressed into him enough to bruise, she told him everything. How the last time she'd been with somebody had been exactly nine months before Sienna was born. How she didn't think that she would ever be deserving of happiness again. How grateful she was for every second of the day, and each day before that, that Damon had lavished so much affection on Sienna.

How much she loved him.

All thoughts of anger at him forgotten, she sighed in contentment as he sank into her and slowly started to move. Her tears continued to flow, but they were tears of love, of freedom, of new beginnings. His fingers ran slowly over her skin, treasuring each touch he was granted as if he feared it would all slip away. She was unable to do anything but cling to him, anchor herself to him so she would never again have to feel the complete desolation she'd endured whenever he was gone.

She fell first, but the way her fingernails dug into his back brought him tumbling with her as he cried her name into her neck. She continued to kiss his throat, his jaw, his hair as he rode it out, before he rolled off her, exhausted, and pulled her tightly into him.

"Sleep now, more sex later," he mumbled, already halfway on the road to sleep as his arms twined around her waist and fixed her there, facing him. "I was promised frustration."

"Oh, you'll get it, and much more," she assured him, lifting his hand to kiss his palm and entangling her fingers with his.

"We have a serious discussion ahead of us, too," he sighed heavily, and Elena's stomach dropped.

"What?" she asked, cautiously.

"How long do we have to wait before Sienna gets her own room?"

Elena burst out laughing at the disgruntled expression on Damon's face before he whacked her with a pillow. "I don't think she's the problem. Think about how much Katherine is going to throw this back in our face when she wants us to babysit! Diaper duty is most definitely _not_ the most romantic way to spend our evenings."

Damon shrugged. "We got through it last time. What's one more? Or two, or three for that matter?" he smirked, and Elena felt warmth flood through her at the thought of having a child with Damon somewhere down the line, a brother or sister for Sienna. She gently took his face in her hands and kissed him, exploring his mouth slowly with her tongue and deciding she would never, ever get sick of kissing him. She pulled away and he stared at her, his eyes heavy-lidded but glowering with lust.

"Sleep now, more sex later," she echoed back at him teasingly, attempting to turn her back to him and squealing when he started to tickle her.

"But now I'm so very _awake_!"

"_Damon_!"

"What? I have you, a bed, and a whole toddler-free night ahead of me; forgive me if I'm not going to waste it."

After a couple more rounds, a handful of misshapen gingerbread men, and a resultant food fight that morphed into round five on the dining table, they fell into bed again, completely spent.

"Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for today. It was perfect, and I've never seen Sienna happier."

"You're welcome," he said into his pillow, the sound muffled.

Elena rolled over, throwing her arm over his broad back and positioning her mouth right next to his ear.

"Damon?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"Love you too, baby."

Elena blushed slightly at the endearment, kissing his shoulder to cover her shyness. She remained alone with her thoughts for a few minutes, listening to his breathing evening out, though it hadn't quite reached the pace of deep sleep yet.

"Damon?" This time, her voice came out lower, more serious.

"Hmm?"

"I concur."

He lifted his head, blinking tired eyes at her. "What?"

Elena fought to keep the grin off her face at the anticipation and concern in his gaze, clasping his hands within hers and squeezing once, looking into his bright blue eyes and seeing only love and the promise of forever.

"Sienna definitely, _definitely_ needs her own bedroom."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for every notification and review, it honestly means the world to me. You're all such wonderful people and I hope that you're having a safe and happy start to 2014. Please check out the other DEHX3 stories and authors, because there are some brilliant gems in there and you'll be doing yourself a favour. Don't forget to review and let me know if you'd like to see the sequel of sorts that I mentioned earlier.**

**Okay, as promised, new story news. It's very nearly finished, so you should see the first chapter fairly soon if everything goes to plan, but definitely, definitely before the hiatus is over. It's called Dust to Dust (by the Civil Wars, if anybody's a fan) and it is a five-part AU story that is a little different to anything I've written before. The song should give you a substantial hint as to where the story is going...**

**Love you all; thanks for reading! ~ Kim**


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